Walk into the studio of John McLeod and discover an old garage that he and his father have converted into a clean, open workspace. Stroll outside to view several magnificent, curvaceous sculptures rising from the ground, works in progress soon to be completed. Drive up to Rock City on Lookout Mountain to enjoy his tree project, “Elder Flame,” newly completed in June. Chattanooga is fortunate to have an artist of such diverse talents.
John McLeod was born and raised in Chattanooga, and he recalls from his earliest memories that art was “magical” to him. The fascination of watching his mother draw a picture, an image slowly appearing before his eyes, was captivating. As a child, John was fascinated with Mayan, Aztec and Incan sculpture. Drawn to the mystery of things left behind by these ancient cultures, John grew to love artifacts that connect people to the earth.
From a young age, John created things with his hands. As a young child, he made his own bow and arrow, and in school he fondly recalls carving little human forms from plaster. Later, a professor would state: “You are a sculptor” and then go on to give John his own tools to work with in the evenings. This simple statement and act of goodwill would help place John on the path of professional artistry.
At a young age, he spent a summer at Interlochen in Michigan, a camp in which every participant was challenged to develop a personal voice as an artist. Walking lakeside with a friend one afternoon, he picked up a field stone and thought, “I am going to do what I want!” John gave up doing what people expected of him. In 2001 he graduated from Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi with a concentration in sculpture.
John has held on to his first piece of significant art, titled “Embryo,” a field stone sculpture that rests perfectly in the curve of the hand. Today, John continues to explore the physicality of sculpture, finding the relationship with a three-dimensional object profound in a way different from painting, printmaking, and other art forms that he enjoys.
Not wanting to repeat himself in his work, John has no intention of falling into a “comfortable” pattern as an artist. John says, “Art is a journey of discovery and expression. I never want to feel: ‘Here I am; I have arrived.’ Art is part of my life journey.”
Today, he explores different media, including stone, wood, and bone and has experimented with avant-garde multi-media puppetry, shadow puppetry, improvisation, and musical instruments. John enjoys bluegrass music and plays the guitar, mandolin and hand drums. He is an avid rock climber and kayaker, finding that these quiet, intense sports connect him to the earth. Like his artwork, they allow full engagement with the body and what is being touched: water or rock, marble or wood.
McLeod states that Chattanooga is good to its artists. Here he finds energy and multiple opportunities for involvement in the creative process. A recipient of a CreateHere grant last year, he was able to explore new processes for large scale sculptures, and his latest project at Rock City, “Elder Flame,” displays wood sculptures on an even larger scale.
McLeod’s work has been displayed in exhibits throughout the Southeast and resides in numerous private collections. John always has multiple pieces in process. At any one time, he might be working with marble, wood, metal, fiberglass resin, plaster, paper mache, castings, or metal pours. He works on local shows and installations as well as national exhibitions and is proud to call Chattanooga home.